US185456A - Improvement in the manufacture of artificial stone - Google Patents

Description

I06. COMPOSITIONS,

comma 0R Pusnc UNITED STATES JAMES L. ROWLAND, OF NEW YORK,

Q IIIIIISS REFERENBE PATENT OFFICE;

IMPROVEMENT INTHE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL STONE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,458, dated December 19, 1876; application filed November 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. ROWLAND, of the city and county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of- Artificial Stone; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, sufficient for those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to improve artificial stone, and the various articles which have been or may be made thereof, in respect to durability, strength,appearance, grain, texture, and wear; and to this end the invention consists, first, in an artificial stone made of finely-pulverized quicklime, mixed with byd'raulic limes or cements, or of certain metallic bases, any one of which, by the reagents-water and carbonic dioxide-may be reconverted into stone,molded into suitable forms, and artificially indurated; secondly, in the process of making such artificial stone; and, lastly, in the application of such stone as a facing or surfacing for concrete blocks or other articles, substantially as I will now proceed to set forth.

In the manufacture of my improved artificial stone the important steps are, first, the .selection and pulverization of the materials; secondly, the mixing and tempering of the stone paste or mortar ,tbirdly, the molding and pressing of the mortar into suitable forms; and, lastly, the induration of the articles so molded and pressed.

In the selection of the materials I take any suitable quicklime and hydraulic lime, or any of the various calcareous or magnesian hydraulic cements, imported or native, as may,

be best adapted for the special article which it is designed to produce; The hydraulic limesand cements, if not sufficiently fine, are finely pulverized by grinding or any competent means, and are thoroughly screened, or otherwise treated, so as to remove all coarse particles or foreign substances, and leave nothing but fine dust or flour of cement or lime.

213g QEIIQELLIIITQIQIIQJJB slaked, and this should 66 d one msuc 'a fiianner as to avoid using any excess of water above what is necessary to reduce it a line powder, when it is also 'bined with one another,

passed through abolt ,or sieve in the same manner as the hydraulic limes.

I prefer vapor of water, steam, or line spray for the purpose, as it enables me to control the application of the moisture to better advantage, and a lo dioxide may be com-o mingled with the vapor or steam, if preferred.

The materials having been thus selected and prepared, thenext step is to properly-mix and te'niper them in making the mortar, and this varies somewhat, according to the article to be made, and the color and quality of stone to be produced. For example: from one to two parts of slaked quicklime or hydrate of lime, combined with four parts of Louisville cement or hydrate of lime. Rosendale and Louisville cements, equal parts of each, coinmake a strong and but very simcompact stone of closer texture,

- ilar in other qualities and appearance to one composed wholly of Portland cement; while, by varying the proportions of each, or by using hydraulic limes or cements dilfering one from another in color and composition alone, or in combination two or more with one another,

or with hydrate of lime, and varying the pro portions of each, innumerable varieties of texture, quality, color, and appearance may be produced, which it is impossible here to set forth, and which any workman must determine for himself, according to the requirements of the article he designs to produce. Also, the imported and native cements in equal parts of each, and otller proportions, combined or not with bydrate of lime, give efficient results, and make avery strong and desirable stone. I may say here, however, that the quicklime, when used,

as described, in combination with some one or more of the hydraulic cements or limes, and

made a part of the composition of the stone,

has the effect to give the stone produced (the same as when made of hton and concrete .mixtures used in the manufactureof stone) a lighter shade of color, to improve the grain, texture, and strength of the material, and to prevent surface checking or cracking, and also effiorescence. It also serves, with the water, as a temperingmediuin for the material with which combined, improves the tempering of the mixture the same as it improves the tem Examiner pering of concrete and bton mixtures when on the floor for mixing'and tempering, suitable used in those, imparting to it a slippery .talcdyes or pigments, such as the metallic oxides, ous quality, by reason of which it may 'be for example, maybe employed impart any more compactly pressed into the molds. For desired color or colors to the article to be prothis purpose the hydrate of lime is preferably dnced; but if used in the form of a powder,

mixed with the other'material or materials and not in solution, intermixed before water before adding the water. is added.

two or more are to be used in combination) and tempered, it is put into suitable molds properly proportioned according to the efi'ect form the required article or articles, and 18 required, they are then to be reduced to a mortherein compressed and compacted by any 'tar, and in the tempering of this mortar the form of press or suitable means, and with any main requirement is to impart to it a condirequired degree of force. The 311110 168 are tion and consistence adapting it to be most then removed from the molds and artificially compactly pressed while in the molds. To indurated by any suitable means, such, for this end any excess of moisture in .the mixexample, as by subjecting them to any of the ing and tempering must be carefully avoided indurating processes described in my Letters on account of the incompressibility of free Patent No. 109,669, dated November 29,1870; water, and its tendency to intervene between No. 128,980, dated July 1t i,1872; No. 137,322, the particles of mortar, and prevent their perdated April 1, 1873, reissued January 12, fect union. 1875, No. 6,234, and again reissued Apr l 25, Any suitable mode of incorporating the 1876, No. 7,084; No. 149,682, dated April 14, water in the proper quantities with the other 1874; and No. 153,020, dated July 14, 1874, materials, to form and temper the mortar, or by covering them from the suns rays and may be employed, as, for example, by the ap treating them daily with water 111 1112 form of plication of vapor, steam, spray, or water in spray, or with water, saturated with carbonic other forms. When vapor or steam is emdioxide. Theprocess of mduratmgmaclosed ployed, suitable mechanical appliancesshould chamber, however, as described in several of be used for confining the materials with the my said patents, gives the bestresults. moisture, and thoroughly commingling them. It will be observed that in the process above For such purpose I find a hollow polygonal hordescribed no sand'or gravel is employed, nor izonta. rotating vessel for containing mortar, is any part of the material applied lugrams provided with aperforated axial pipe, or other or lumps, but in a fine or pulverized state. means for introducing the vapor or steam, The object of this isto enable the carbonic and radial arms or stirrers, if desired, for agiacid or dioxide, subsequently applied, to unite rating the contained mass, to be a very eflichemically with each particle of lime reconc ent apparatus. When spray is to be used, vertible matter in the compound, thereby a convenient mode of operation is to put the forming a compact stone, consisting, as nearly materials in a pile on a smooth water-tight as possible, of homogeneous and uniform carilcor, dampen a partof the floor near the pile bonate matter,except so far as it may be modiby means of a rose sprinkler, gradually and lied by the presence of the clays contained in evenly rake the materials onto the dampened the cements. The selection, pulverization, portion of the floor, and collect them again inand screening of the materials, and the care- 1 pile, sprinkling or spraying water evenly ful application of the water thereto, followed and in properly graduated quantities upon by the artificial induration, are all adapted to .1e mass while moving it; then immediately this end, and are all essential in practice to a rake it back, spraying water meanwhile in perfectly-successful result. diminished quantities upon it, and then, with- A colorable variation of my process might, out further applications of spray, thoroughly of course, be employed by introducing minute intermix it by raking or otherwise. In applyquantities of sand, which would not materially ing the water in any of these ways the workaffect the result; but, so far as such sand man must determine when to cease the applimay be used, it will not subserve any useful cation of the moisture by his observation of purpose in the manufacture, and, therefore, the color and appearance of the mortar. So should be altogether avoided and guarded long as -the moisture is insniiictcnt, the mass against. will exhibit a spotted or streaked appearance The stone 'ortile produced as above doand an unevenness of shade or color; but at scribed possesses several very important adthe stage of treatment when it has received vantages over other artificial stones hereto- SllfllUlQllt-IDOlStUI'B,iiWlIlllDlIIBLI-lBlQJQLQSQHUG "'i'ore produced, among which may be mena uniform shade of color and a curdling; aptioned its tenacity and durability, its fine pearance. and will manifest a tendency to rig grain and close and homogeneous texture, gregate in small lumps. The application of and the fact that its surface will neither glaze moisture should then be discontinued, and the and become, slippery, marble-like, vitreous, or inteimixing oi the materials proceed until metal-like by wear, nor, on the other hand, completed. will it scour and become scratched and rough, At any Stage: of the process, preferably but will take on a smooth and slate-like surwhen the materials are placed in the vessel or face, due probably to the presence of the al The materials having been selected, and (if- After the mortar has been thus prepared Examine? l 106. COMPOSITIONS,

COATING 0R PLAS 'C cross REFERENCE 4 facingthe tile or other article, and I make the gillaceous materials in the cements when combined, in fine dust, with the water and carbonic acid or dioxide, in the manner described, which especially fits the stone for pavements and other similar purposes, while by properly adapting the proportion of quicklime in the composition its capacity to receive a surfacepolish like marble may be increased at will, which adapts it to the manufacture of mantels, wainscoting, and other articles where smoothnessor polish of surface may be required.

For certain purposes the tiles or other articles made wholly of the fine materials herein described may be more expensive than is necessary, and for other purposes the smoothness of surface and fineness of grain may not enable the tile to adhere readily and tenacionsly to the bed or wall of which it is to form a part, or to the mortar or cement in which it is to be laid. In such cases I apply the fine material herein described merely to body or posterior side of the tile of coarser material, using concrete made of gravel or sand and mortar, or any of the known concretes, or coarse artificial-stone compositions for suchbody or back. In such case anadvantageous mode of procedure is as follows, viz: Having prepared the fine mortar for the facing and the coarse concrete mortar for the body or back, I spread lightly and evenly over the bottom of the mold a quantity of the fine mortar snfiicient to form a substantial layer or a facing of the required thickness, and then I put lightly and evenly in the mold, in contact with the upper surface of the fine mortar, a quantity of the coarser mixture or concrete sumcfent to form the body of the block intended. In the same manner, or with modifications required by the different forms of articles or manufactures to which the facing is applied, the materials are put into the molds for reservoir-linings, or for forming water or gas surfaces. After the materials have been thus placed in the molds strong compression is applied, and the two layers of different substances thereby so intimately joined that, after the block or other manufacture has been indurated, no separation of the two layers-is possible. h I

- I am aware that artificial-stone manufactures forva'rions purposes have been made with a surface of finer and a back or body of coarser material; and I am also aware that it is not new to make artificial stone of quicklime or hydraulic cements mixed with coarser materials, with which these substances form no chemical union. To these I lay no claim nor do 1 claim the modes of indnrating, nor the modes of tempering, the materials, except in relation to the quicklime, which has been described.

I claim as my invention- 1. An artificial stone composed of quicklime, or hydrate of lime, and a hydraulic lime or hydraulic cement, compressed into molds and indnrated, as set forth.

2. An artificial .stone having a facing of quicklinie and hydraulic lime or cement, or of either alone, said facing being united to the body of the block, as set forth. 3. As an improvement in the manufacture of artificial stone, the described process of mixing and tempering the materialsviz., by pulverizing the hydraulic cements, adding thereto the hydrate of lime, likewise finely divided, and then moistening the mixture, and finally compressing and indurating, as set forth.

4. The described process of forming the fac- I ing of lime or cement by first placing a layer of the fine material in the mold, and then filling with the coarser to form the body of the block or other article, and then compressing, as and ibr the purposes set forth.

JAMES L; ROWLAND. Witnessesr JOHN RUSSELL, JAs. F. ROBINsON.